'Selfie' may help authorities find source of $10 million marijuana farm

By Craig Hlavaty |
August 23, 2014
| Updated: August 26, 2014 11:35am

Benigno Ramirez of Michoacan, Mexico is wanted by the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office after authorities allegedly found a cellphone containing a "selfie" of him at the site of the $10 million pot farm, located just north of Sugar Land Regional Airport.

Photo By Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office

Agents with the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force, a Houston HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) initiative composed of local and federal agencies, are searching for two suspects concerning a marijuana grow field.
The grow field is part of an ongoing investigation. The field, packed with marijuana plants, is about 3 to 5 acres in size. Agents descended on the grow field earlier Tuesday.

Photo By Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office

Agents with the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force, a Houston HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) initiative composed of local and federal agencies, are searching for two suspects concerning a marijuana grow field. The grow field is part of an ongoing investigation. The field, packed with marijuana plants, is about 3 to 5 acres in size. Agents descended on the grow field earlier Tuesday.

Photo By Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office

Agents with the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force, a Houston HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) initiative composed of local and federal agencies, are searching for two suspects concerning a marijuana grow field.
The grow field is part of an ongoing investigation. The field, packed with marijuana plants, is about 3 to 5 acres in size. Agents descended on the grow field earlier Tuesday.

A "selfie" cellphone picture may help authorities find out who is responsible for a massive marijuana grow operation in Fort Bend County.

Benigno Ramirez of Michoacan, Mexico is wanted by the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office after authorities allegedly found a cellphone containing a "selfie" of him at the site of the $10 million pot farm, located just north of Sugar Land Regional Airport.

The growing operation had been a target of officials for some time. The plants were growing in an area only accessible by boat just off Oyster Creek and hard to see from the air, according to officials this week. The field, about four acres, was raided Aug. 19.

Bob Haenel with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that so far the number of plants harvested is between 9,000 and 10,000, with the street value thought to be around $10 million.

It is believed that Ramirez played an integral part of the operation. Another unidentified subject also is wanted in connection with the field.

Information that leads to the apprehension and filing of charges on any suspects involved in this marijuana growing operation could earn a reward of up to $5,000, according to Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers. Anyone with tips is asked to call 281-342-8477.